Wavertree Town Hall, one of the region’s most stunning buildings, is celebrating its 150th birthday and its 2nd birthday as a new-look venue after being saved from disrepair.
The majestic Grade II Listed building where George Harrison’s birth was registered and The Beatles once played as The Quarrymen was saved by two local women and has since thrived as a gorgeous restaurant, bar and events space.
Built in 1872, the impressive building served the community until it fell into disuse in the 1970s — eventually being threatened with demolition in 1979, before local businessman, Eric Rooke, took it on and converted it into a public house. It became quite popular however it closed again in the early 21st century and has since re-opened a few times as pubs — only to fall into complete disrepair again in 2015.
Cue Natalie Doughty and Lisa Dixon. Equipped with vast experience working for reputable hospitality brands such as Neon Jamon and Gusto, the pair decided to save Wavertree Town Hall after learning more about its history and falling in love with it. They fought off competition from property developers and, in 2020, embarked up the gargantuan task of restoring it to its former glory.
Lisa said:
“Natalie and I are good friends and have years of experience in hospitality between us but we must’ve been mad to take on this project. The building was rotten with damp and there were holes in the floor and ceiling — you could even see through holes down into the cellar. A massive refurbishment was required but when I look at the venue now I’m so pleased we took it on.”
After almost a year of blood, sweat and tears, Natalie and Lisa opened the new Wavertree Town Hall venue — with sumptuous decor more than doing the building justice. The project was not straightforward, however, as the pandemic constantly halted their progress and Natalie battled with cancer during the process.
Natalie said:
“Lisa and I are very passionate about this building, its heritage and the local community here in Wavertree — that’s why we’ve kept its name as Wavertree Town Hall. We worked hard to fight off developers and the whole project has been very challenging, especially with me going through a cancer battle, but our shared passion has carried us through.”
Thanks to the superhuman efforts of Natalie and Lisa, the majestic building on Wavertree High Street is now a vibrant food, drink and events venue — with stunning decor that original architect, John Elliot Reeve, would be immensely proud of. Having just celebrated its 150th birthday, the iconic building continues to live on and serve the community.
With a gorgeous 60 seater restaurant, an intimate bar and an upstairs function space, the new look Wavertree Town Hall is thriving once again after years of neglect. The stylish venue offers a refined menu of small plates, Sunday roasts with live music, cocktails and afternoon tea and it’s a popular venue for private hire and weddings.
Natalie and Lisa have recruited multi award winning chef, Mick Navarro — a much sought after local chef, formerly of Neon Jamon, Pod and Three Piggies fame. With a mouth watering new small plates menu, featuring dishes such as Manchego & Spinach Croquetas, Baby Squids and Chorizo in Honey, it’s becoming a popular venue for both nostalgia and quality of food and drink.
Natalie summarized:
“Lisa and I are extremely proud to have saved this building. We fell in love with it and made it our mission to restore it to its former glory and do John Elliot Reeve proud. When you think about all the memories here, the likes of The Beatles playing, people’s births and marriages being registered here, it’s been an honour to bring it back to life.”
Having just celebrated 2 years of trading, Wavertree Town Hall offers quality drinks (2 for £10 offer on cocktails), small plates (3 for £15 offer during the afternoon), Sunday roasts (3 courses for £23.95 with live music) and afternoon tea (£18.95). Also an ideal venue for a special occasion or wedding, bespoke event packages can be tailored to your needs. A beautiful story and a triumph for local heritage!
